As we leave 2016 behind and look forward into 2017 we want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and much prosperity in the new year and every year that follows. At Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne we will continue our cause of fighting for the individuals and families of south Florida, as we have for over 40 years.

We offer a “Cases and Judgments” page on our website so that any potential client can get an idea of a few of the notable cases we have worked on in our past – and success we have had helping Floridians who have been seriously injured or wrongfully killed arising from cases of severe accidents, medical negligence, owner negligence, or defective products.

This page is not meant to pat ourselves on the back. We believe that in order for people in need of a personal injury lawyer’s services to make the best decision they should know what qualifies us to help them receive the best settlement possible.

As we have noted in previous blogs, there are a number of sources that you should check before making the important decision of which personal injury attorney that you should hire to handle your case. The criteria you should use for making that choice should include:

Ask friends, family and associates.

Call your state bar association.

Check with a lawyer referral service.

In states like Florida that allow lawyers to advertise, you may find one through an ad, HOWEVER, ALWAYS Interview more than one lawyer before deciding who will represent you.

*** Try to find out what previous experience and results the attorney and law firm have had on cases like yours.

This last one is the reason we offer a summary of some of the cases we have successfully handled on behalf of our clients.

In addition, be aware that most personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation. If the one you call first does not, move on. At the initial consultation:

Discuss all fees and costs at your initial consultation.

Get any details in writing before you make a commitment.

Choose a lawyer with whom you feel comfortable discussing your case and with whom you can be honest, AND the firm that will ask all of the right questions; not just of you, but also of the legal firm on the other side and the insurance companies involved.

Our Board Certified lawyers from Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne are the right lawyers to get you the best settlement that you deserve based upon your unique set of circumstances. We make sure to ask the right questions of all companies and interested parties in your case. We represent clients anywhere in the state of Florida.

If a person you care about gets hurt or killed in a car motorcycle or boating accident, or you simply have a question about a potential personal injury situation that you have not yet had answered, please call us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. We offer a free initial consultation, and our phone number is (561) 686-3400.

At Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne, we understand that motor vehicle accidents happen every day. We help our clients obtain payment to cover hospital and other medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more, if the situation warrants it. If you want to learn more about how we can help you in a situation where someone you love has been in an accident, then go to this page on our website: http://sswlawfl.com/areas-of-practice/accidents-serious-injury/. We also specialize in Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Defective Products, and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred.

Whether you are in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Stuart, West Palm Beach or any other city in the state of Florida, you need to find and hire a law firm that has the level of knowledge and experience that will get you the financial results you deserve, while also working with you throughout your case until some type of resolution has been reached. With over four decades of experience, that firm is Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne.

Contact us directly at (561) 686-3400, or via email at info@sswlawfl.com.

There seems to be a new story almost daily of someone getting in a car accident or injured in some way while playing the new game Pokemon GO on their phone. The game causes people to get distracted, resulting in falls, car accidents (yes, people are playing while driving) and even muggings. But what if you are hurt while playing Pokemon GO? Can you sue the creator of the app and get a financial settlement for helping to cause your injuries?

The answer is: most likely No. Why? The answer lies within the terms of agreement that you agreed to right before you start the process of actually downloading the game app to your cellphone. Included in that rather lengthy document are terms that specifically protects the app’s creator from you suing them.

Here are the sections of the Pokemon GO “Terms of Service” that relate specifically to what you are agreeing to that limit the company’s liability in case you are injured playing the app.

Safe Play

You play the game at your own risk. If you get hurt or hurt someone while playing, the company is not liable. An dispute you have with any other player does not involve the company, either.

Conduct, General Prohibitions and Niantic’s Enforcement Rights

A lengthy section that describes in detail the many things you can do to break the service terms and be banned by the company.

Links to Third Party Websites or Resources

You assume responsibility and risk from using any third party websites or resources while playing the game.

Termination

Niantic can terminate your access to the service at any time, without notice or warning to you.

Disclaimer of Warranties

There is no warranty of any kind.

Indemnity

You hold Niantic and everyone else connected to the game harmless for anything that may happen to you while playing the game.

Limitation of Liability

It is not Niantic’s fault if you lose data or money as a result of playing. At most, the company limits liability up to but not exceeding $1,000.

Dispute Resolution

If you have issue with any of these terms you agree to an independent arbitrator to settle any dispute. You agree not to join in a class action lawsuit and you also agree to go to waive your right to have a trial by jury.

But be aware of the fact that Niantic can (and probably will) terminate you from playing the game. This is a fascinating topic that brings up an important facet of the law here in Florida, and the United States. Understanding what rights you could be signing away when you agree to a “Terms of Service” contract.

If you are injured due to the negligence of another person in Florida, you may have a right to bring a claim for various damages and injuries incurred. Call us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. We offer a free initial consultation, and our phone number is (561) 686-3400. Our main office is located in Jupiter, Florida. We have been devoted to protecting South Florida families for over 40 years.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you in a situation where someone you love has been in an accident or some other mishap caused by someone playing Pokemon GO or distracted in some other way while driving, then go to this page on our website: http://www.sswlawfl.com/areas-of-practice/wrongful-death/. We also specialize in Slip and Fall accidents, Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Defective Products, and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred.

Supporting our local communities in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast in a variety of ways is an important aspect of what we do here at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. In fact we have been devoted to protecting South Florida families for over 40 years.

With that in mind we are sharing the announcement of this weekend’s fundraiser to help all those affected by the Pulse nightclub tragedy in Orlando. The two-day event, happening at The Gardens Mall, is being called OneOrlando Shop & Share.

According to their press release The Gardens Mall will donate “5% of the logged receipts (customers must present their receipts to the Information Desk for validation) from both days to the OneOrlando Fund, a nonprofit relief initiative established by the City of Orlando to help those affected by the Pulse nightclub tragedy. The Forbes Company, owner of The Gardens Mall, will match the mall’s 5% contribution, for a total estimated charitable donation of a $10,000, as well as donate $1 for every gift card purchased on June 25 and 26.”

To read the entire press release and get all the information about the event and every one who is participating please go to: http://www.thegardensmall.com/events/oneorlando-shop–share

If you can, we urge you to get out to The Gardens Mall and show your support for this worthy two-day event to help those affected.

Summer is here which also means the summer driving season is here. Many families pack up their belongings and the children and head to points all over the United States to visit friends and relatives. Of course there are also 3 major holidays that happen during this time, as well. Memorial Day has come and gone, while Independence Day is only a few weeks away with Labor Day to follow at the beginning of September.

Statistics tell us that the incidence of drunk driving rises significantly on and around these holidays. In fact, July 4th and Labor Day turn out to be two of the three or four days with the most drunk driving deaths in America every year, according to yearly surveys by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

With that in mind here are ways for you to spot a drunk driver out on the road during this time, and any time. Spotting a drunk driver in enough time to get away may just save your life, and the life of your family.

From MADD: “While we work hard to turn cars into the cure and eliminate drunk driving forever, families must continue to be vigilant on our roadways. You can help protect your family from drunk drivers by looking for these signs of intoxication among other motorists.” This full list is shared directly from the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) website:

Unfortunately, there can be occasion where no matter what you do you can not avoid getting into an accident with a drunk driver, or another automobile driver. If you or someone you know is injured or dies as a result of an auto accident caused by a drunk driver, or someone else’s negligence, contact us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. immediately. We offer a free initial consultation, and we will try to help you through this very difficult and emotional time. Our phone number is (561) 686-3400.

At Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne, we know that automobile accidents involving drunk drivers happen, particular over the holidays. We help our clients obtain payment to cover hospital and other medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more, if the situation warrants it.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you in a situation where you or someone you love has been in an auto accident, then go to this page on our website: http://www.sswlawfl.com/areas-of-practice/auto-accident/. We also specialize in Slip and Fall accidents, Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Boating Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Defective Products, and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred. We have worked to protect families in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart, West Palm Beach, and throughout south Florida for over 40 years, and we look forward to helping you!

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, and schools are on summer vacation. The summer boating season has begun. Now is a great time to remind all of you out there who plan on boating this summer here in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and throughout south Florida of some important boating safety tips to help keep you, your family and friends healthy and happy out on the open water this year.

Here is a list of 8 boating safety tips that you, your family should follow each and every time you go out on a boat here in south Florida at this time of year:

Do not drink if you are driving or planning to drive the boat. First of all, it is just as illegal to drink and drive a boat as it is an automobile or motorcycle. Furthermore, drinking dulls your senses, greatly increases your response time if something happens. And boats do not maneuver as fast as cars to begin with. Leave the drinking for later.

Check the weather before you go – have an idea what is supposed to happen throughout the time you are out on the ocean. People who have lived here a while already know this, but the summer season on the east coast of Florida sees many afternoon rain storms that also go out over the Atlantic Ocean. If you are unaware or not paying attention, you can be caught in a dangerous rain squall in a relatively short amount of time.

Make a “float plan” and share it with someone. Let at least one other person (several, optimally) know of your travel plans for that day. Include your name, address, phone number, make and model of the boat, departure and arrival time and any stops you are planning along the way.

** There are mobile phone apps available for just this purpose. Here is a list of a few of them from Discover Boating.com:

Check the boat for sea-worthiness before putting it in the water. The middle of the ocean is no place to figure out that your boat has a problem that you could have detected before leaving.

Make sure you have all the proper safety equipment onboard. In addition to having and wearing life jackets, make sure to carry at least the minimum required equipment by the U.S. Coast Guard. Here is a list, depending upon the length of your boat: http://www.boatus.org/guide/equipment_6.html

Once onboard, wear a properly fitting life jacket; make sure to outfit any children with life jackets as well. The United States Coast Guard recently released estimates stating that over 80% of the people who died in boating accidents could have been saved if they had been wearing a life jacket.

Ensure the safety of every child on board your boat:

Make sure they have a life vest made for their size

Teach them not to run around the boat; to stay seated while the boat is moving, and to keep their hands and feet inside the boat at all times

If they are your children and you plan on having them out on the water with any consistency, have them enrolled in swimming and boater safety classes.

Watch for swimmers and other smaller water craft. You are in control of a vehicle that can turn into a deadly weapon very easily. You can neither slow down, reverse or maneuver anywhere near as quickly as you can when manning most other types of vehicles, particularly in the canals and Intracoastal Waterway areas. Therefore, you need to anticipate what moves anyone else within your vicinity might make at least 8 to 10 seconds in advance, if possible.

Our Board Certified lawyers from Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne, P.A. are the right lawyers to get you the best legal advice based upon your unique set of circumstances when you have been involved in a boating accident or any type of incident out on the water. We have more than 40 years of experience specializing in protecting families here in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Stuart and throughout Florida. We make sure to ask the right questions of all companies and interested parties in your case. We represent clients anywhere in the state of Florida.

If you or someone you know is involved in a boating accident or any other marine legal issue, contact us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne. We offer a free initial consultation, and we will try to help you through this very difficult and emotional time. Our phone number is (561) 686-3400. Or go to our website at http://www.sswlawfl.com.

Accidents can and do happen. We help our clients and their children obtain payment to cover hospital and other medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more, if the situation warrants it. We also specialize in Slip and Fall accidents, Automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Defective Products, and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred.

The following additional articles were referenced in the compilation of this blog:

Schools across the state of Florida are letting out for summer break this coming week. That means that the summer driving season is upon us, where families will be driving around the state of Florida and to much more far-flung places around the country to visit relatives, friends and the multitude of tourist attractions that this great country of ours has to offer. Now is the perfect time to remind all of you who will be traveling this summer Florida’s most up-to-date car seat and restraint laws for children.

The most recent changes went into effect about a year and a half ago, on January 1st, 2015. Here is a quick refresher of the series of requirements, as stated in the 2015 Florida Statutes:

Children through the age of 3 must be secured in a federally-approved car restraint seat.

Children through the ages of 4 and 5 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat. Which one depends upon their size.

These additions to the state law increased requirements up through the age of 5. Before the beginning of last year, car seat requirements for children in the state of Florida only covered up through the age of 3. Although this is certainly an improvement, a number of child safety advocates continue to lobby for Florida state politicians to bring our laws in line with other states or to the standards recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ that children by restrained in a booster seat until they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches (57 inches) tall.

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital child advocacy supervisor Bevin Maynard was quoted as saying by the Tampa Bay Times that the magic number “is not weight or age. It is height.”

She has had quite a bit of experience working with children and their families when a child has been seriously injured in an automobile accident. She knows that statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration state that the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 14 in the United States is improper restraint when in a traffic accident.

If your child or the child of someone you know is injured in an auto accident you probably need a lot of comfort, in addition to expert legal advice on what to do. Call us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. We offer a free initial consultation, and we will try to help you through this very difficult and emotional time. Our phone number is (561) 686-3400.

At Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne, we know that car accidents unfortunately happen all the time. We help our clients and their children obtain payment to cover hospital and other medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more, if the situation warrants it.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you in a situation where someone you love has been in an auto accident, then go to this page on our website: http://www.sswlawfl.com/areas-of-practice/auto-accident/. We also specialize in Slip and Fall accidents, Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Defective Products, Premises Liability, Boating Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred.

Our main office is in Jupiter, Florida at 1015 W. Indiantown Road, Suite 101A. We have litigated cases in Palm Beach County and throughout the state of Florida.

Even with the additional emphasis by practically everyone – the media, automobile companies, the government (through their “Click It or Ticket” campaign) and even society in general – the percentage of teenagers who drive without wearing their seatbelts has remained largely unchanged over the last decade and a half. That according to statistics published by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Approximately 20% do not wear their seat belt now, or 15 years ago; the percentage of male teen drivers not wearing seat belts is still about 10% higher than female teen drivers; and the percentage of teens who died in motor vehicle accidents who were not wearing their seat belt still hovers around 50%. To read more on these sobering and sad statistics, please go to the following articles:

At Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne, P.A. we agree that driving programs that emphasize better education combined with stricter laws for those who refuse to wear seat belts could work to lower the numbers of teenager injuries and deaths in auto accidents. Ultimately, though, the greatest effect can most likely come from responsible parents, and peers who help to make wearing seat belts fashionable, and a must for all teenagers. WE applaud websites like the CDC and Teen Driver Source that are pushing every day to educate teenagers and their parents on the dangers of not wearing seat belts.

If you are injured in an auto accident because you or someone you love was not wearing a seat belt, you may have a right to bring a claim for various damages and injuries incurred. Call us at Slinkman, Slinkman & Wynne. We offer a free initial consultation, and our phone number is (561) 686-3400.

At Slinkman, Slinkman, & Wynne, we know that automobile accidents involving people not wearing their seat belts happen all of the time. If you are in an accident where someone got hurt because they were not wearing their seat belt, then you need to contact us right away. We help our clients obtain payment to cover hospital and other medical expenses, pain and suffering, and more, if the situation warrants it.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you in a situation where someone you love has been in an auto accident, then go to this page on our website: http://www.sswlawfl.com/areas-of-practice/auto-accident/. We also specialize in Slip and Fall accidents, Wrongful Death & Serious Injury, Medical Malpractice, Defective Products, Motorcycle accidents, Boating accidents and many other types of legal situations where injury or death has occurred.

Our main offices are located in Jupiter, Florida at 1015 West Indiantown Road, Suite 101A. We service Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach and anyone who needs help with their potential personal injury case anywhere throughout the state of Florida.